Have you ever pulled into Lox X only to see a sea of cars with maybe five spaces available in the entire lot? You’re not alone. 

With rumors circulating that freshman resident students buy commuter passes, taking already limited space from Moravian’s commuter population and the already very little parking for the 40% of Moravian’s student body– commuters are struggling.

Along with that, the “park at your own risk” sign mocks commuters every time they pull into the parking lot. 

There are even issues for commuter students who receive accommodations to park in Lot A. One student shared a story about receiving a ticket for being in the wrong parking lot, despite her accommodations. 

There isn’t enough parking for anyone, so why hasn’t Moravian done anything about it? 

My first thought was that the issue hadn’t been presented to the University. I was mistaken; Moravian is well aware of the issues commuter students face trying to find parking. Recently, the Moravian University TikTok page posted a video making a joke about commuter students’ struggles. 

Parking becomes even more difficult when you consider the fact that the University lists in the Parking Rules and Regulations that no student vehicles can be parked on residential streets within a half mile of campus. 

Commuters are faced with the difficult decision of taking the risk of a ticket and parking on residential streets or circling the parking lot until a spot opens up, risking being late to classes and other obligations. 

The location of the commuter parking lot is also a cause for controversy. The staple of being a commuter is that of the heavy backpack. While residence students have the freedom to walk back to their dorm between classes, commuters only have their cars. 

This wouldn’t be a big problem if commuters’ vehicles were accessible throughout the day. But, to get to and from your car, students have to face the massive hill between Lox X and their classes. 

Many students say they would utilize their car more if they were able to easily shuttle to and from the lot. But sadly, this is also not possible because of the unreliability of the shuttles at the commuter lot. Often, the shuttle will not even come to a complete stop in the parking lot or just skip Lot X altogether. 

Most of the time, commuters do not see the trek as worthwhile and succumb to heaving a 20-pound bag, a lunchbox, and any extra bags they need all day long. 

Parking on South campus isn’t much better for commuter students. Whenever there is an event on Main Street or on South campus, commuters lose the spots that they paid for. Personally, I had to help my friend move from North to South on a weekend when an event was occurring. Not only did it take me a half hour to get from one campus to the other, but I also had nowhere to park when I got there. 

The same issue occurs for students who buy a Spring Street Lot parking pass. Whenever an event such as the Celtic Classic occurs, those students also lose their parking spots. 

Commuter students have been complaining about the parking situation for years, and it is time that the University makes a change and improves parking for the 40% of the student body that is negatively impacted.